Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, once said that there are two things people want more than sex and money: recognition and praise. Non-cash awards — ranging from a Post-It Note that says, “Good job,” to a vacation package — can help to raise morale, increase productivity and improve service. The management staff at Intuit, the Silicon Valley maker of Quicken and TurboTax software systems, has come up with some creative employee rewards programs, which helped the company rise to No. 45 among Fortune magazine’s Best Companies to Work For. Here's a look at three of Intuit’s employee rewards programs: Thanks Program — Offers a variety of small non-cash awards, such as gift certificates to restaurants, movie tickets and written notes of thanks. Awards may be given to employees for going above and beyond their regular duties, for participating in a community-service project and more (not for simply fulfilling their job duties). Bright Idea Awards — Bestowed on employees for technical achievement or for coming up with ways to improve work processes. On-the-Town Awards — Given to employees who contribute to superior business results, with awards of up to $1,000 in merchandise or cash. The company is currently developing a spot on the Website to showcase employee achievements. Source: Workforce, www.workforce.com